Scaling-up Success
Annual Review 2006/2007
Understanding
Practice
Policy
Policy Models Understanding Policy Practice
Models
Understanding
Models
Practice
Engineer Kaima Meya Founder of FARM-Africa Uganda
“This annual review is dedicated to the memory of Engineer Kaima Meya who died in Uganda on 24 September 2006. Kaima, a well-known commercial farmer and farmer leader, started the FARM-Africa Uganda Office in 2003 and, through his knowledge and wisdom, made the organisation grow from a project into the country progamme it is today. He was also an advisory board member of the Maendeleo Agricultural Technology Fund (MATF), leading several projects to success through his focus, courage and determination. Kaima’s love for, and advice to, FARM-Africa will be sorely missed and he will always be remembered by us.” Sarah Ashanut Ossiya, Country Director, FARM-Africa Uganda
FARM-Africa Clifford’s Inn, Fetter Lane London EC4A 1BZ, UK T +44 (0) 20 7430 0440 F +44 (0) 20 7430 0460 E farmafrica@farmafrica.org.uk W www.farmafrica.org.uk
Registered Charity Number: 326901 Registered Company Number: 01926828 © FARM-Africa 2007 Photographs: FARM-Africa unless stated otherwise Editing, design and production: Green Ink Publishing Services Ltd, UK (www.greenink.co.uk)
Contents Looking to the future .....................................................................2 From projects to models .............................................................5 Challenging policy makers to make a difference .........15 Our strategy in a wider context ...........................................20 Sharing expertise to increase impact .................................23 Raising awareness, building support ....................................27 Our supporters ..............................................................................32
Understanding
Practice
Policy
Policy Models Understanding Practice Policy Models Practice
Models
Understanding
Looking to the future
At FARM-Africa we are immensely proud of the work we have done since we launched in 1985. Our projects have helped many African farmers and herders raise their families out of poverty. We have built expertise in our core areas of research and development, designed new technologies and introduced better ways of farming. We have earned respect among the governments of the countries in which we work, and in the international arena. But, we continually ask ourselves, can we do better? How can we reach more people, make more of a difference? Over the last 18 months in particular, we have been pondering these questions. We know our work benefits rural families; evaluation of our projects shows this without doubt. Yet we are also aware how difficult it can be to move our successful work beyond the level of individual projects so that many more people benefit. We have asked ourselves, then, do we need a new way of working if we are to overcome the barriers to greater impact? The answer to this question – a new strategy for scaling-up our successes – is the product of intensive reflection and consultation within and outside FARM-Africa. The strategy provides a new operational framework that we believe will allow us to break the glass ceiling and move our work beyond the local level. We have analysed the obstacles in our way, identified innovative approaches to overcoming them, and are now beginning to tackle them. So what has changed? Our projects remain fundamental to our work. Indeed, the models of good practice they produce are at the very heart of our new strategy. To support the expansion of these successful models, we see three main areas where we need to focus more time and resources. The first is the policy environment in which we work. Not only is supportive policy often absent; sometimes our work encounters barriers caused by restrictive legislation. We are increasing our efforts to influence policy makers, building on the sound relationships we have developed with governments in the countries where we work. Secondly, we are devoting more time and resources to training and capacity building so that the ‘know-how’ of model implementation (and adaptation) is not a stumbling block. Finally, we continue to strengthen our public awareness activities. It is important that people know what we are doing and why. We have worked ever more closely with the media, the general public and the private sector over the last 18 months, raising awareness across the board of the need for our work, and in particular the models of agricultural excellence that we produce.
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CEO’S INTRODUCTION
The models are far from ‘one size fits all’; rather, they are designed to be flexible so that they can be adapted to new areas and environments. Emergency situations are particularly challenging, but some of the models have already shown their responsiveness under such circumstances. The severe droughts in the Horn of Africa in 2006, for example, affected our pastoralist field projects in southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya, as well as the dairy goat project in Kitui and Mwingi in Kenya. We were able to respond quickly to the crisis; building shallow wells, distributing veterinary drugs and providing advice on emergency animal slaughtering. The devastating floods that followed also needed rapid response, and again we were there to distribute basic shelter materials and transport in some of the most isolated areas. We launch our new strategy at a time when agricultural innovations are sorely needed across sub-Saharan Africa. Despite promises to make poverty history, the poorest Africans – the vast majority of them farmers and herders – have seen little change in recent years. Our work has never been more important or more relevant. The good news is that agriculture is moving up the agendas of international and bilateral agencies, and African governments are beginning to allocate greater proportions of national budgets to agriculture. We have designed our strategy to work in line with others’ initiatives, to complement and support them, and we look to their reciprocal support for our work. Derek Byerlee, co-director of the World Bank’s World Development Report 2008 – which is to focus on agriculture for the first time in 25 years and in which FARM-Africa played a consultative role – explains the international context and endorses the relevance of our strategy in an interview on page 20. We thank you, our supporters and partners, for your continuing faith in our organisation. We are entering this new phase of our work eagerly and optimistically, and we look forward to sharing news of its success with you in the coming years.
Dr Christie Peacock, CEO, FARM-Africa
“Let us encourage any group to show a working model, against the backdrop of a global political commitment to take successes to scale.” Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute, Columbia University BBC Radio 4 Reith Lectures 2007 3
MODELS
From projects to models
FARM-Africa’s work over more than two decades has yielded a wealth of lessons and knowledge on the management of the natural resources that rural Africans depend on for survival. The heart of our new organisational strategy is the design and dissemination of ‘models of good practice’. These models, a combination of technology and community-based development processes, are designed so that others can adapt and adopt them and bring the benefits to many thousands more farmers. Projects have been the foundation of FARM-Africa’s work since we began operations in 1985. They provide the means for working with farmers and herders to design and test better methods of animal husbandry, cropping and natural resource management. We are proud of our projects and of the expertise we have developed from our three core areas of work – pastoral development, community forest management, and smallholder development and land reform. Although we have enjoyed notable growth in our funding over the past few years, FARM-Africa remains, by international standards, a small non-governmental organisation. With our current staff complement and other resources, there are only so many communities of farmers and herders we can reach through direct project-based interventions. To increase our positive impact we must pursue a strategy that doesn’t depend on sheer organisational size or financial clout. The challenge, then, is to move our proven successes beyond the limits of the original projects, in a cost-effective way. We believe this can be done by developing and sharing our models of good practice. And we have already begun – 2006 saw significant developments in the testing of many of the models in new environments and situations. We also put greater emphasis on thorough documentation and measuring impact in order to strengthen the evidence and support available for others considering adopting our models.
Anatomy of a model Every project has technical and social components, some or all of which may contribute to success. Together or individually, components that have withstood the test of time are the basis of our models of good practice. FARM-Africa is convinced that, with appropriate support, these emerging models can and will be adopted by farmers outside the original project villages, and in other countries of Africa and perhaps beyond. In its broadest, ideal form, a FARM-Africa model combines innovations in three areas: technology, partnership and process. In other words, it’s not
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enough to merely introduce a technical fix like a new breed of animal or an improved crop variety. It’s also necessary to ensure collaboration among the interested parties, and take into account the social and economic realities of the participants. Answers to diverse questions are needed: What process of community learning is required to make the intervention successful? What services are needed to ensure farmers can pay for a new technology or other innovation? Which groups or organisations should we be working with? What’s the best way to organise on-going technical support to ensure a lasting positive impact? The box opposite lists current FARM-Africa models at different stages of development. The most advanced are the Dairy Goat Model, the Pastoral Development Model, the Participatory Forest Management Model and the Land Reform Support Model. These reflect our core research and field experience over the years. What makes us confident that our models work, or will work, and can be successfully adapted and adopted by others? All the models we promote have been tested in a range of situations, sometimes in different countries, and have been found to have a positive impact on the lives of farmers. We have also made sure they do not expose local people to unreasonable risk, and that they are manageable and sustainable. Finally we ensure they are cost-effective for others to pick up and use in their own context. Essentially, the models are flexible enough to suit different situations and needs. Within the models are the tools to ensure local adaptation and the sense of local ownership that is the foundation for success.
Successful goats FARM-Africa’s experience in promoting dairy goat breeding is a good example of a successful model, in part because it is mature, having been developed and tested in four countries – Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Based mainly on experience in Meru, Kenya, the Dairy Goat Model illustrates the three-way innovation that favours success. The model enables communities to produce cross-bred dairy goats, combining the hardiness of local breeds with the much higher milk yields of the European Toggenburg. A reliable source of fodder is crucial, as is access to good animal health services: training in this area is an essential part of the process. Together, these activities comprise the technological component of the model. On the partnership side, the innovative aspect of this model is the collaboration between farmers and the private sector, notably animal
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MODELS
FARM-Africa’s models Model
Description
Recent developments
Dairy Goat Model
Communities cross-breed local dairy goats with European species to increase milk yields. Key components are improved animal health services to support goat development and community institution building.
Currently being tested in Kitui/Mwingi (Kenya) and Mbale/Sironko (Uganda).
Pastoral Development Model
The model helps pastoralists reduce poverty and the effects of drought, improve the way that they manage their natural resources, and make sure that their views are included in national and local policy.
New projects starting in Ethiopia, focusing on helping communities manage their own community development fund. Testing also beginning in Tanzania.
Participatory Forest Management Model
Helping communities to work in partnership with government to take responsibility for managing and protecting local forests, earning a sustainable living from them and safeguarding them far into the future.
Scaling-up the model through the Bale Eco-Region Sustainable Management Project in Ethiopia.
Land Reform Support Model in South Africa
Post-allocation land reform support model – aiming to improve livelihoods of land reform beneficiaries through improved agricultural production.
Experiences being documented as training materials. Starting to scale-up the model by helping government implement it in other parts of South Africa.
Agricultural Education Model
Model uses ‘discovery learning’ as an innovative educational approach.
Taking the successful model from Babati district to students in neighbouring pastoral areas.
Maendeleo Agricultural Technology Fund (MATF)
A competitive grant-making fund, spanning Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
Wide range of community-led projects funded to date.
Women’s Enterprise Model (in development)
Promoting economic and social empowerment of the most marginalised women in Ethiopia.
Resources needed to ensure that this model can be effectively documented and disseminated.
Post-conflict Agriculture Model (in development)
Model includes crop and livestock components, and emphasises recent returnees and female-headed households.
Crop assessment conducted, results shared with Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) and Sudanese Government.
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health workers, banks and veterinary stores. As for the use of innovative processes, the Dairy Goat Model draws on participatory techniques such as farmer-to-farmer learning. The model has been particularly successful in Kenya. The more than 50,000 cross-bred dairy goats that have been produced in the last 10 years now account for one-third of the country’s dairy goats. Household nutrition has improved and household incomes have increased dramatically; a crossbred goat selling for over £50 compared with less than £15 for a local one. FARM-Africa has also supported local breeders’ associations in collecting surplus milk and processing it for urban supermarkets. Testing of the model is now under way in different areas of Kenya and also in Uganda and Tanzania. In the semi-arid Kitui and Mwingi Districts of Kenya the model is proving adaptable to drier conditions. The project began here in 2005; 14 breeding stations have since been established, and members of the community have been trained in housing, feeding, breeding, record keeping and animal health issues. In 2006 we trained over 30 Community Animal Health Workers and provided them with drug kits, bicycles and mobile phones.
Goodbye to the ‘Goatfather’ 2006 saw the retirement of long-standing staff member Patrick Mutia, who began working with FARM-Africa almost 20 years ago on dairy goat projects in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. He was known familiarly throughout the organisation as the ‘Goatfather’.We asked him what he thought about FARM-Africa’s new strategy. “FARM-Africa has the ability to think a little bit harder than other NGOs and has come up with more realistic innovations and models. This was recently shown by the fact that the Kenyan Government is talking about FARM-Africa models in its extension service in order to provide sustainability to projects.” And the model approach? “This is something that works – you know that you will get results. For example, with the goat model, you can see how the goats are really helping people at the grassroots. People see the cross-breeds and recognise their potential and really change their attitudes as a result.” And a final word? “I wish FARM-Africa all the best – the organisation is definitely on the right track and will continue to touch the hearts of many people in the future.”
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Patrick Mutia and Dr Christie Peacock with the Perpetual Challenge Cups that will be given in their name as prizes for excellence in goats at the Nairobi International Trade Fair
MODELS
In Uganda, the Mbale Dairy Goat and Animal Healthcare Project began in 2003 and a measure of its success is that the project has been inundated with enquiries about goats and training. Elsewhere in East Africa, there is high demand in the markets for cross-bred goats. As part of the drive to better capture our experiences so that others can easily adapt and use them, we began documenting the Dairy Goat Model in earnest at a workshop in Kenya in 2007.
Pastoralists’ progress The Pastoral Development Model has been developed through project work in Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania over a number of years, as well as through learning from partner organisations. There are more than 15 million pastoralists in the Horn of Africa, drawing on traditional expertise and skills to survive in some of the harshest environments in Africa. The model aims to reduce poverty among these communities, minimise the effects of drought, improve the way natural resources are managed, and make sure that the views of pastoralists are included in national and local policy. A key component of the model is the use of mobile outreach camps,
Supporting individuals to spread success: Macdonald Munuve’s story Macdonald Munuve, 26, joined the Nzeluni, a group set up by FARM-Africa as part of its Kenya Dairy Goat Project, in 2006. “When FARM-Africa came to our location, I was chosen as a beneficiary of the project. The group elected me to be trained as a Community Animal Health Worker. I acquired a small drug kit, a bicycle and a cell phone. I am now able to provide for our family from my weekly earnings. I have hired casuals who take care of our farm as I go round serving farmers. This to me is like a dream! I serve about 300 households, using my bicycle. They also call me through my cell phone. From my earnings I have been able to buy household utensils, build a farm latrine, buy seeds for planting and pay my family’s education fees. FARM-Africa has helped me over the last two years with several training courses and a tour to see successful projects in Meru and Nakuru. My highlight was the opportunity to attend the amazing Nairobi Agricultural Show – twice!”
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taking training and animal health care directly to a widely dispersed and highly mobile population. In 2006/2007 we extended the testing of our pastoralist model to new locations and new countries. In Ethiopia several new projects started in 2006, with a particular focus on developing a mechanism for communities to manage their own development fund. This is a good example of a model component that could be adapted by other projects and used in other places; what we learn here will be relevant to a number of our other models. In Kenya, our work with pastoralists expanded to Moyale and Marsabit, two of the most remote and harsh environments in the country, while we opened a new pastoralist programme in Hanang, Tanzania. This latter programme will use participatory land use planning and resource management techniques to manage conicts in resource use between pastoralist, agro-pastoralist and hunter–gatherer communities, extending the applicability of our existing model even further. And importantly, we undertook a rigorous baseline study for the Hanang project, collecting data that will allow us to measure the impacts of the model, and to demonstrate its beneďŹ ts to potential adopters.
Forests for the future The Participatory Forest Management (PFM) model has been developed over 10 years in Ethiopia and Tanzania. It helps communities work in partnership with governments to manage and protect local forests, thus safeguarding valuable natural resources far into the future.
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MODELS
Our original PFM project in Bonga, Chilimo and Borana in Ethiopia and Nou in Tanzania – co-managed by FARM-Africa and SOS Sahel Ethiopia – is coming to an end in 2007. During its lifetime we have seen the establishment of innovative systems of participatory forest resource management in each of these areas, with over 40,000 hectares of natural forest now being managed using these techniques. Forest management groups and cooperatives set up by the project are rolling out their own forest management plans with legal agreements. This has empowered them to take control of their own future. Communities are receiving direct livelihood benefits through sales of plantation timber and non-timber forest products. Pressure on forest resources has been reduced and forest products are contributing to the overall economy. Thanks to the success of this project, in 2006 we received a funding commitment for a significant new project in Ethiopia designed to develop our PFM model. The Bale Eco-Region Sustainable Management Project, again in partnership with SOS Sahel Ethiopia, began in 2007.
Banking on land reform support In South Africa we have a well-developed Land Reform Support Model that has been tested across a range of locations and different conditions in the Northern Cape. Its main strengths are group capacity building, land use planning and the establishment of microfinance schemes for members. The project is in its final stages in 2007. A key part of this model has been the introduction of an innovative form of credit through livestock banks. Banks are established with a stock of high quality Dorper
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sheep. The animals are managed centrally for 18 months before distribution to individual members, who then repay the stock plus interest. In addition to the impact on land reform beneficiaries through training in group and financial management, the banks have created jobs for shepherds (hired by the groups), increased productive assets (the initial stock of 1,622 animals grew 77 per cent in three years), and yielded returns on investment of up to 73 per cent, largely through sales of lambs. The approach has had a particular focus on the poorer beneficiaries of land reform who, as the primary beneficiaries, receive their loans first. “I had nothing before the livestock bank,” says a member of the ‡Khomani San livestock bank. “Now I have 25 animals.”
Enterprising women The Women’s Enterprise Development Project in Southern Ethiopia has developed a model that promotes the economic and social empowerment of some of the most marginalised women in Ethiopia. The project has demonstrated that through training, supply of female goats, and the provision of seed money, women can become richer and more respected members of their community. By the end of 2006, 26 women’s groups, each with over 20 members, had transformed themselves into cooperatives, allowing them to determine their own future.
Innovating for change The Innovation Fund, set up in 2005, is an internal competitive-grant scheme to encourage creative problem solving by all our programme staff, while reinforcing the development of our models of good practice. In 2006, for example, funds were acquired to support a small research project in Uganda that is examining how the Dairy Goat Model might provide another human health benefit: prevention of HIV transmission from mothers to babies. The research is exploring the ethical, economic and cultural viability of using goat’s milk in the prevention of motherto-child transmission of HIV by providing HIV positive mothers with a nutritious feeding option for their infants and young children. The research complements a broader FARM-Africa investigation into the links between livestock and HIV/AIDS, also financed by the Innovation Fund, and focused on Kenya and Ethiopia. The results of the two studies will be channelled into our continuing development of the Dairy Goat Model and be made available to policy makers. They will also contribute to the wider international dialogue on the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS on livestock production and on the millions of rural Africans who depend on that livelihood.
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MODELS
Life after conflict Our new project in Southern Sudan, funded through the Band Aid Charitable Trust, is producing an agricultural model with both crop and livestock components suitable for post-conflict communities. Once developed and documented, it will have considerable potential for clients wishing to engage with communities which are in transition between humanitarian aid and long-term development strategies. In 2006 the project worked with 132 farming families, providing groundnut and sorghum seed as well as hand tools. This enabled them to produce what was, in many cases, the first successful harvest after the peace initiative.
As well as developing our own project-based models, we have also set up a competitive grant-making fund to encourage other organisations to develop innovations in agriculture that may contribute to our models. The Maendeleo Agricultural Technology Fund (MATF) makes small-scale grants to such groups to enable them to test new approaches and ideas. Since its inception in 2002, MATF has funded a range of projects leading both to direct economic benefits for local people and to a pool of new technologies and ideas with potential to be integrated into FARM-Africa’s models. During 2006, MATF dispersed £442,500 in grants.
Photo: Marc Bleich 2007
An incubator for agricultural technologies
The emerging models of good practice described here are the backbone of FARM-Africa’s campaign to scale-up its positive impact on rural families in eastern Africa and South Africa. The following sections describe the essential supporting activities to make this endeavour succeed.
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POLICY
Challenging policy makers to make a difference
For innovative agricultural models to be successfully scaled-up, there must be a supportive policy environment. FARM-Africa uses the evidence from its success at the grassroots to influence both the development of policy and the translation of that policy into agricultural practice. We help farmers and herders to engage in dialogue with influential policy makers, and document our field experience to encourage the adoption of good policies. In this way, FARMAfrica aims to put agriculture at the very heart of economic development and poverty reduction strategies in Africa. Policy should, in theory, provide a framework for good practice. In reality, however, this is not always the case. Policies develop slowly, in complicated arenas where policy makers may have conflicting priorities and interests. They may also have little solid information on what actually works in practice. Ironically, the result may be that policy comes to stand in the way of good practice. This has been a recurring experience for FARM-Africa. We know that our projects yield practical innovations that people can use to improve their livelihoods. Yet attempts to move beyond the project level – so that more people may benefit – are often met with barriers in legislation, or opposition from groups that see a threat in these new ways of working. Far from letting it defeat us, this realisation has spurred us into action. Over the last 18 months we have been gearing up to tackle the policy issue head on. We have begun a concerted effort to reach policy makers with evidence from our work, showing how the innovations and good practice it produces can have positive impacts on the lives of the poor. We are doing this in a highly targeted way, focusing on those specific policy barriers that are impeding the operation of our models. While acknowledging that policy is a complex arena and that influencing it can be difficult and frustrating, we believe that providing such evidence is an essential step towards change. We hope that policy makers, armed with such evidence, will rise to the challenge and set in place policies that promote improved practice.
Moving policy to centre stage How will we go about reaching policy makers? We are not starting from scratch – our projects have in the past included policy work to varying degrees, and we are building on what we have learned so far. We are also drawing on current academic thinking on the best ways to influence policy.
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Our new strategy is helping us to understand more clearly how FARMAfrica’s project work links into national policy. By dissecting a model, isolating its different elements and examining how government policy affects each one, local staff can clearly identify relevant legislation and understand how it affects their work. This then equips them to encourage national, regional and local governments to make policies that promote good agricultural practice. Staff in London are supporting country programmes in creating or refining their policy action plans.
Sharing lessons
“Most policies are conceived with good intentions and supportive policy environments can exist, but there is often a lack of adequate local knowledge, understanding and practice of policies that make realising their benefits difficult.” George Odhiambo, FARM-Africa Tanzania Country Director
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In 2007 we published a policy report from a workshop in 2005, when we teamed up with one of the most knowledgeable groups in the field of policy research, the RAPID programme (Research and Policy in Development) of the UK’s Overseas Development Institute (ODI). We did this both to learn from them and to contribute our experiences to their work. With this group we carried out a study of some of our established projects and their impacts on national policy – to determine if, when and how policy makers have been influenced by our work. This has helped us to see what works and what doesn’t, and where we need to focus our renewed efforts. The report — ‘From Grassroots to Government: FARM-Africa’s experiences influencing policy in sub-Saharan Africa’ — was presented at a high-profile conference hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) in Rome in April 2007. One of the best lessons from this study is perhaps one of the most obvious: ‘seeing is believing’. When policy makers are able to come and see our projects in action, they quickly understand the potential benefits and start supporting our work. In Ethiopia, for example, in the early stages of our
POLICY
forestry work we invited key Ethiopian Government officials on a tour of similar forestry projects in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and India. They were clearly impressed, and the Ethiopian Government soon invited FARM-Africa to set up its first participatory forest management projects. These formed the basis of what is now one of our most advanced and successful models. More recently, in October 2006, Kenyan officials were invited to the Dairy Goat and Capacity Building Project in Mwingi District, a project set up to extend and test FARM-Africa’s Dairy Goat Model. There are now 21 farmer groups under the project in Mwingi and Kitui, supported by 30 Community Animal Health Workers, and two vets and five Animal Health Assistants have set up drug stores in the area. These facts and figures reflect local success for the project, but wider adoption of these activities now depends on changes to Kenyan policy so that Community Animal Health Workers are legally recognised. This point was emphasised with the policy makers during the field visit; the necessary changes to the law are now in their hands.
Presenting evidence We are also pursuing other proven ways to expose policy makers to our work. Holding meetings and workshops, producing publications on our findings, and offering training for government staff are not new activities for FARM-Africa, but we are strengthening these efforts and giving them more of a policy focus. We are using high-profile meetings to showcase our work to policy makers. For example, we attended an international land reform conference – Land, Memory, Reconstruction and Justice: Perspectives on Land Restitution in South Africa – in September 2006, and a meeting of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) in Nigeria in February
“It is exciting that FARM-Africa is willing to discuss both its successes and the challenges it faces, as it seeks to show policy makers what reality is like for farmers on the ground. Hopefully many NGOs will follow suit.” John Young, RAPID programme manager, ODI
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2007. Such meetings provide us with opportunities to both demonstrate and share our expertise with peers in the policy world. We have always believed in the power of partnerships, but there are likely to be particularly important synergies here. Strategic alliances with different types of organisations will enhance our credibility with policy makers as well as complement our skill areas. Our plan, then, is to increase efforts to engage policy makers and to provide them with clear, unequivocal evidence of the potential benefits of adopting our models. At the same time, we will advocate for any policy changes that may be needed for this to happen.
Advocating change Trying to persuade people to change or to support change – in other words, advocacy work – is not a simple business. It needs specialised skills, and so we are building these within our staff. We are also developing clear and targeted advocacy plans. But perhaps more importantly, we are supporting farmers and herders in their own advocacy efforts. Local voices, all too often missing from the debates, bring essential perspectives to policy matters. We are working to develop advocacy skills in local group leaders, and helping them to find their feet on the policy-making floor. We are also combining our efforts with others, joining networks that share our policy objectives, and helping them where we can – sometimes with technical or managerial support. We hosted the Sixth Meeting of the East African Goat Development Network (EAGODEN) in Uganda in November last year, for example. This brought together diverse groups and gave them the opportunity to coordinate their approaches to influencing policy and other pertinent issues. At this event, the Government of Kenya announced that they intended to ‘mainstream’ FARM-Africa’s approach to goat development. The implication of this on our overall impact is immense. International organisations like the UN and its specialised agencies, the European Union and Northern governments often play an important role in the creation of national policies. However, to date, we have focused on targeting advocacy work to the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID). Again, partnerships boost our efforts. In 2006 we carried out a review of DFID’s commitments to support African agriculture. Partnering with the NGOs Harvest Help and Send a Cow, we presented a united front in our conclusions – the most significant being a failure to provide adequate funds for agriculture. Linking with other respected groups like these adds weight to our arguments – particularly valuable in the international arena.
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POLICY
But for all our efforts, will policy makers listen? We hope they will and indications are promising. As we work more closely with governments we are increasingly being asked to contribute to key debates and even sometimes invited to participate in policy-making exercises. We see this as an endorsement of our work and its relevance. We have already seen some policy successes. A major step was made in 2006 towards easing importation restrictions on Toggenburg goats from the UK. While the import ban remains in place, the Government of Kenya is currently allowing FARM-Africa to import goats to the country, hopefully as a precursor to lifting the ban completely. FARM-Africa is playing a crucial role in making the links between the UK and Kenyan Governments and providing both parties with necessary information. The combined policy experiences of FARM-Africa staff in Kenya and Tanzania so far offer staff in Uganda, the most recent country to adopt the Dairy Goat Model, an excellent opportunity to learn from organisational experience. To this end, the Uganda team is developing its policy action plan in close collaboration with colleagues from Kenya and Tanzania.
Photo: Marc Bleich 2007
Supportive policy is crucial to the expansion of our models. In the coming months and years we’ll be building on our successes so far, learning more as we go, and striving for effective, enabling policy.
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Our strategy in a wider context Interview with the co-director of World Development Report 2008
The World Bank’s World Development Report 2008, now in preparation, focuses on agriculture. FARM-Africa spoke with the Report’s co-director, Australian economist Derek Byerlee, about our new strategy for scaling-up.
FA: It’s been 25 years since a World Development Report dealt comprehensively with agriculture. Why is this topic now in the limelight? DB: Agriculture has moved higher on the international agenda because it’s so closely tied to the United Nations’ first Millennium Development Goal (MDG). The target is to halve hunger and poverty by 2015. Three-quarters of poor people are in rural areas and most of them are involved in farming in one way or another. When you look at the global figures, it seems like good progress is being made on the first MDG. But this is because China is making huge strides. In the poorer countries, we won’t be able to reach the first MDG by 2015. The second reason for putting agriculture in the limelight is the fact sub-Saharan Africa remains a priority for the international community. If we exclude a few mineral-rich countries from the equation, we see agriculture and related agro-industry is the region’s most important economic sector. And don’t forget, the historical model is that rapid productivity increases in agriculture stimulate overall economic growth. FA: How relevant do you think FARM-Africa’s new strategic direction is to addressing the problems facing Africa’s small-scale farmers in the 21st century? DB: It’s an interesting and relevant strategy because it’s a way to pilot-test, innovate, learn and find mechanisms, in working with others, to scale-up. There’s still a lot of learning and innovation needed if we are to address the diversity of rainfed farming systems in Africa – systems with many different crops and animal species, different soil types, and varying economic, social and cultural situations. FARM-Africa can play an important role by being able to work at the local level, but with an eye on impacts at national or regional level. We need more of this kind of innovation and learning – finding out what works well and where. FARM-Africa is more strategic in their thinking than most small development organisations, in terms of how to get the maximum impact from a limited budget.
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CONTEXT
FA: Is this new strategy, then, in line with what’s going on in the World Bank and other big development organisations? DB: Much of FARM-Africa’s strategy has to do with practical models – linking farmers to markets, managing natural resources better, increasing farm assets. These are all things that the World Bank is interested in. If there are models that FARM-Africa thinks are working, and has documented as working well, then it’s logical that the World Bank, through its country programmes, could help scale-up. FA: Which aspects of African agriculture are most in need of the kinds of models of good practice now being designed by FARM-Africa? DB: One thing stands out as we prepare the World Development Report and talk with Africans: farmers need more opportunities to link to markets, especially in areas where there’s reasonably good agricultural potential. So, quite often the constraint isn’t technology or production potential, but rather lack of access to markets, whether local ones where traditional products are sold, or emerging markets for higher value products and livestock, including export markets. To the extent FARM-Africa is able to provide models for making those kinds of links, that contribution will be very welcome. The other critical issue for sub-Saharan Africa is natural resources – doing a better job of managing land, water and forests. FA: FARM-Africa realises we need to form partnerships with other organisations if we are to multiply our impact. Apart from farmers, who should we look to as partners? DB: One of the most critical partnerships would be with national governments. They still have a major role to play in small-farm development and in setting related policies. Then there are the donor organisations which work with those governments. In the area of market development for agribusiness, working with the private sector would be an opportunity for FARM-Africa. Finally, I think it’s essential to work with other NGOs, especially to ensure that various groups do not undermine each other’s work due to conflicting operating procedures.
Models and market access Being able to get products to market determines whether farmers and herders can really lift their families out of poverty. Recognising this, FARMAfrica’s models try to improve market links as well as increasing productivity. For example, the Meru Goat Breeders’ Association is preparing to sell surplus goat’s milk and yoghurts in Kenyan supermarkets. In Tanzania, women of the Nou Forest Reserve use newly acquired business skills to promote their raffia products in local markets. Many of the projects funded by the Maendeleo Agricultural Technology Fund (MATF) pay special attention to product marketing. For example, a project in Kiambu District, Kenya, focuses on African Indigenous Vegetables. Farmers have been trained in improved production techniques, and also in marketing their produce to large supermarkets, such as the Uchumi chain. African Indigenous Vegetables now account for 5 per cent of Uchumi’s fruit and vegetable turnover, and still demand is exceeding supply. Farmers meanwhile are planting crops sequentially and managing a group harvesting schedule to ensure a constant supply of their produce. They are also meeting the quality requirements of the large supermarkets.
FA: Do you have specific advice for FARM-Africa as it moves to scale-up its impact? DB: One thing I would stress – and I know FARM-Africa is well aware of this – is the need for good evaluation. This is particularly important if you are going to work with larger organisations to scale-up your work. You need solid baseline data and evaluation techniques that will be credible to others.
“FARM-Africa is supporting us to produce high quality baskets and mats. If we find the market, we, women of Nou Forest, are ready to work hard and change the lives of our families.” Raffia producers, Nou Forest 21
Photo: Caroline Irby 2004
PRACTICE
Sharing expertise to increase impact
The third drive of our new strategy is improvement of agricultural development in practice: in many ways, this is the crux of our work. The ‘know-how’ to implement our models, and ongoing support, are clearly critical to the successful scaling-up of our work. Our Training and Advisory Units are charged with this vital task. Many of FARM-Africa’s models have widespread applicability in a variety of settings across Africa. Groups or ‘clients’ wanting to implement our models request training, advice on adoption and adaptation, and post-adoption support. In response, we offer field-based training, targeting individuals who themselves go on to train others in the implementation of our models. In addition, we are also working towards this outcome through other means, such as organising conferences and supporting a network of Community Animal Health Workers to enable sharing of best practice and individual learning. The creation of Training and Advisory Units (TAUs) in each country where we operate began in late 2004 with the hiring of coordinators in Ethiopia and Kenya. TAUs in Tanzania, Uganda and South Africa followed soon afterwards. While each TAU is country-based, regular communication, including face-to-face meetings of TAU staff, allow the units to coordinate their work. From the outset we envisaged a two-way flow of knowledge and action between the TAUs and the field projects. The TAUs support the collation,
Training available from the Training and Advisory Units • • • • • • • • • • •
Implementation of FARM-Africa models Adult learning and development techniques Developing partnerships Identifying beneficiaries Group formation and development Development of goat credit Community animal health Goat husbandry Community-based breed improvement Land use planning with communities Financial management for community groups
The TAUs also conduct tailored training for clients’ specific needs. For example,TAU Kenya provided training for government vets on Rift Valley Fever.
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“I would like to acknowledge the efforts of FARM-Africa in promoting goats in the region. We come here on the recommendation of the district leaders, that you are the best organisation to advise us on the issues of goats.” Carol Masaba, Regional Manager, Christian Children Fund
documentation and dissemination of the research findings from projects. The resulting best practices are then adapted for a range of products: publications and other training materials, course curricula, and information packages for policy and advocacy work. These products help others who want to adapt and use our models; and they help us to reflect on and improve them. 2006 was a successful year for the TAUs, with new clients being won and new training materials developed. However, they also faced the challenge of aligning themselves more closely with the new strategy and developing a more consistent approach to training materials and delivery across country borders. All TAU coordinators met in Uganda in November 2006 to tackle both these issues. Standardised documentation in particular will bring huge benefits. Welldeveloped training ‘packages’ are an important step towards training activities without the need for an ‘expert’. These have the potential to reach many more people. In 2007 such a standard format is being finalised and new training materials developed on the Dairy Goat Model and the Participatory Forest Management Model. During 2006 the TAU in South Africa received government accreditation for some of its training materials, an important step in being recognised as a quality training provider in that country.
Looking inside and out
“TAUs are an effective way of drawing together different people’s experiences, sharing expertise and disseminating the models of good practice that are part and parcel of this new strategy.” Patrick Mutia, Retired FARM-Africa project coordinator
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The TAUs serve both external and internal clients. That is, they not only organise and conduct training-of-trainers for other development groups in Africa such as government agencies and NGOs, they also offer workshops and other learning opportunities for FARM-Africa’s own project staff. The latter task is important since scaling-up requires a new, expanded mix of skills. For example, project staff will increasingly need to be able to accurately document project methods and outcomes, and record evidence of impact. It is certainly possible to build some of these skills through in-house training. But in some instances we will need to recruit new talent. Since the TAUs are small units, we rely on consulting associates, sometimes former FARM-Africa staff, to conduct many of our training events, both internal and external. We are currently exploring some exciting new opportunities for sharing our models and component processes through the TAUs. Our Ethiopian TAU will be working with Jima University to train its students in participatory planning techniques and other processes. We will also be working with the Japanese Development Fund to train communities and government in several pastoralist areas of Ethiopia in participatory planning and baseline study techniques. We anticipate our TAUs going from strength to strength in the coming years, playing a key role in scaling-up our impact.
PRACTICE
Tracking change We take monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of our projects very seriously – so that we can be sure that our models are working and are being improved with experience. The Maendeleo Agricultural Technology Fund (MATF) is a slightly different case, where we fund others to the tune of £60,000 to £90,000 for two–three year projects. But we also ensure that these smaller projects benefit from an M&E process. Twice during each project period, MATF M&E officers visit each project site. These visits and written M&E reports are highly valued by grantees, as they provide advice on ways to strengthen the projects. The MATF managers gain a useful perspective on how projects are run. After every round of projects, a workshop is held where grantees share experiences and identify factors that contributed to the project’s success. In addition, after each round of projects, external evaluators assess the impacts of the programme on the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. In 2006, MATF itself underwent external evaluation. One recommendation was to produce more hard economic data on the effects of projects on farmers’ livelihoods. FARM-Africa took this challenge seriously, conducting impact assessments of projects in all three countries – Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda – early in 2007. These are projects which, after three years, are now beginning to pay off. The assessments show that the transferred technologies are performing strongly. Here are a few examples: • In Arumeru, Tanzania, farmers have more than doubled the financial returns on their banana orchards by adopting new planting material: disease-free plantlets produced through tissue culture. • In drought-prone Nakasongola, Uganda, which used to regularly rely on food aid, farmers received cassava varieties resistant to a devastating viral infection called cassava mosaic disease. Participating farmers can now provide enough cassava for their family needs and still have 70 per cent of their crop to sell. Two processing plants have been established in the area under farmer cooperative management, to process cassava chips and flour for sale locally and in the capital, Kampala. • Farmer groups in central Kenya have switched to African Indigenous Vegetables, selling these at supermarkets for significant profit. The results of this impact assessment work are published in FARM-Africa’s Working Papers series (www.farmafrica.org.uk/resources.cfm).
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UNDERSTANDING
Raising awareness, building support
Agriculture has the potential to improve the lives of millions of rural Africans and is a key contributor to economic growth in most African countries. But achieving this potential needs a significant increase in agricultural investment targeted at the poor. FARM-Africa is raising public awareness and building international support for African agriculture. Even with the best of intentions, efforts to scale-up our contribution to African agriculture through models of good practice will not succeed if we have to work in an unresponsive or hostile environment of public opinion. Over the past two decades there has been a decline in public investment in agriculture. This has occurred despite seemingly widespread acceptance of the view that a healthy agricultural sector will be the foundation of any significant economic progress in Africa. There is clearly a need for better communication and understanding of the important role of farmers and herders. FARM-Africa is committed to improving public understanding of the vital role of smallholder agriculture and to encouraging broad public engagement in agricultural development. The industrialised and developing countries are increasingly interdependent – as trading partners, as investors in agribusiness and as consumers of each other’s farm products. So the information campaign must be international in scope. During 2006, we recognised the need for a revised approach to public relations across the organisation. This new approach acknowledges the growing public profile of FARM-Africa, along with the greater scrutiny we are receiving because of that higher profile. We also invested in developing our global communications team – African team members received training in how to fulfil their roles more effectively. And we set up an internal communications newsletter to keep the team in touch with each other’s work.
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Spreading the word Public awareness in Africa World Food Day in Uganda To mark World Food Day (October 16), our Uganda Dairy Goat and Animal Health Project participated in a two-day exhibition organised by Mbale District. Ethiopia Pastoralists Day Two days of celebrations were staged in January to observe the 2007 Ethiopia Pastoralist Day. FARM-Africa’s Ethiopia Pastoralist Programme (EPP) was an active participant, showcasing its work with presentations and a photographic exhibition. Nairobi International Trade Fair Members of the Kitui-Mwingi Goat Breeders’ Association won 19 prizes for their goat entries at the Nairobi International Trade Fair during the first week of October 2006, once again putting FARM-Africa’s goat model in the limelight.
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Our own publications and websites are the starting point for our public awareness efforts, as well as for reaching more technical audiences. During the last 18 months we have produced a number of general and specialist publications, improved our main website (www.farmafrica.org.uk), and also maintained our project websites www.cah-net.net (the Community Animal Health Network), www.maendeleo-atf.org (the Maendeleo Agricultural Technology Fund), www.pfmp-farmsos.org (the Participatory Forest Management Programme) and www.farmfriends.org.uk (the FARM FRIENDS website). The CAHNET website took an interesting new direction when the CAHNET blog was launched, providing an exciting, interactive means for FARM-Africa and its audiences to talk to one another.
Media coverage Beyond our own communication efforts, we have seen a significant amount of media interest in our work, both in the UK and internationally, in the last 18 months. In the UK, this included an in-depth documentary featuring FARM-Africa’s Uganda Dairy Goat project on BBC Radio 4, entitled ‘The Gift of a Goat’, which was heard by over nine million listeners. Three broadcasts featuring the Babati Schools Project in Tanzania and the Kenyan Dairy Goat Project in Kitui and Mwingi were aired several times on BBC London television, reaching out to over three million viewers alone, and on BBC News 24 during the Christmas season. FARM-Africa’s patron, Michael Palin, presented a Christmas appeal on BBC Radio 4, highlighting the positive impact of our dairy goat work. Broadcast on Christmas Eve, the appeal was repeated over the holiday
UNDERSTANDING
period. Elsewhere, Press Association TV broadcast a ‘Horizon’ report on FARM-Africa’s Women’s Enterprise Development Project in Ethiopia to an audience spanning 130 countries. FARM-Africa Kenya stimulated outstanding coverage of the Nairobi International Trade Fair, which ran on KBC, the Kenyan national broadcaster. Furthermore, in Uganda, the East African Goat Development Network (EAGODEN) conference, held in November 2006, was covered in both The Daily Monitor and The New Vision national newspapers. Our work was also reported in many other publications in Africa and the UK.
Raising standards During the year our Director of Fundraising, Michael Newsome, initiated an agreement among a group of charities involved in ethical gifts on common standards of transparency and accountability in this relatively new area of giving. This contributed to an Institute of Fundraising code of conduct. FARM-Africa was also one of the first organisations to join the Fundraising Standards Board (FSB); all FARM-Africa’s fundraising materials meet the FSB’s high standards and now carry its tick mark. This stood us in good stead in November and December, when there was a period of sustained media interest in ethical giving. At that time illinformed criticism of the value of goats in development prompted attacks on giving livestock in general and goats in particular which reinforced the need to continue building understanding in the media of African agricultural issues.
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RESOURCES
Resources
During 2006/7, we produced a range of materials to present FARM-Africa’s work to a wide range of audiences. These (and more) are available at www.farmafrica.org. uk/resources.cfm Policy and Research series ‘From Grassroots to Government: FARM-Africa’s experiences influencing policy in subSaharan Africa.’ Policy and Research no. 5, April 2007 Best Practices series ‘The Key Steps in Establishing Participatory Forest Management – a guide for practitioners in Ethiopia.’ Best Practices no. 1, March 2007 Working Papers ‘The Dairy Goat Model.’ Working Paper 9, June 2007 ‘Socio-economic Assessment of Four MATF-funded Projects.’ Working Paper 8, June 2007 ‘Kenya Dairy Goat and Capacity Building Programme – a socio-economic baseline report.’ Working Paper 7, June 2007 ‘Land Restitution and Livelihoods: the ‡Khomani San.’ Working Paper 6, June 2007 ‘Tracking the Performance of Livestock Banks Managed by Land Reform Groups in the Northern Cape.’ Working Paper 5, May 2007 Brochures and Factsheets ‘Weaving a Way Forward: raffia products from the Nou Forest.’ Brochure, April 2007 ‘Scaling-up Success – FARM-Africa’s new strategy for development.’ Factsheet, March 2007 ‘The Nou Joint Forest Management Programme – a model of conservation in partnership.’ Promotional brochure, March 2007 Newsletters, proceedings and directories ‘From the Field – Spring Issue.’ Supporters’ newsletter, April 2007 CAHNET Directory of Organisations and Individuals Working in Community Animal Health in Tanzania, January 2007 CAHNET News Issue 3, September 2006. ‘Scaling-up Farmer Technologies – Building on MATF projects’ achievements.’ 3rd MATF Experience Sharing Workshop Proceedings, February 2007 MATF Newsletter, Issue 5, ‘Epuripur Sorghum in Uganda.’ December 2006 MATF Newsletter, Issue 4, ‘African Indigenous Vegetables’, July 2006 PFMP Newsletters, September, December 2006 Annual Review FARM-Africa Annual Review 2006/2007 FARM-Africa Annual Review 2005/2006
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Our supporters
© John Swannell
“I’m proud to support an organisation that has been changing lives for over 20 years – quietly, efficiently and successfully.” Michael Palin CBE, FARM-Africa Patron
“The African Union Commission is highly impressed with the work of FARM-Africa.They have accomplished a great deal by strengthening the capacity of African farmers to address their numerous problems.” Babagana Ahmadu, Director, Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
“We identified FARM-Africa as a charity we wanted to work with because they don’t just raise awareness or raise money – they actually go out there and do! They deliver sustainability, and it is clear that they realise big things happen when you do lots of little things fast and with thought.”
© Jeremy Enness 2007
Gi Fernando, CEO, Western Consulting (www.westernconsulting.co.uk)
“Having worked and lived in Uganda I am aware of the genuine need for investment at the grassroots and FARM-Africa appears to be focusing on what is really needed.” Nicola Ritchie, FARM-Africa runner for the Flora London Marathon 2007
“This is the first time I have ever donated to third world charities. However after reading about your ‘goat scheme’ I was very impressed with what it achieves. I am happy to help people to help themselves. Good luck.” Eileen Pack, FARM-Africa supporter, April 2007
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Patrons Lord Plumb of Coleshill DL Sir Peter de la Billière KCB KBE DSO MC MSC DL Michael Palin CBE
President Sir Martin Wood OBE FRS DL FARM-Africa UK Board (2006/7) The Rt Hon Lord De Ramsey DL FRAgS D.Sc (Chairman) Dr Elizabeth Hopkins (Secretary and Deputy Chair – until June 2007) Norman Coward (Treasurer) Martin Evans (from January 2007) Jan Bonde Nielsen Dr Michael Collinson (until June 2007) Dr Peter Hazell Shabanji Opukah Dr Helen Pankhurst (from December 2006) Janet Pugh OBE (until June 2007) Victoria Rae (from December 2006) Dr Paul Zuckerman
Chief Executive Officer Dr Christie Peacock
FARM-Africa South Africa Board Blanche Pitt Leonard Ngada Zamani Jali Professor Tim Bembridge Dr Christie Peacock Dr Elizabeth Hopkins (until June 2007)
Understanding
Policy
Practice
Policy Models Understanding Policy Practice
Models
Understanding
Models
FARM-Africa Clifford’s Inn, Fetter Lane London EC4A 1BZ, UK T +44 (0) 20 7430 0440 F +44 (0) 20 7430 0460 E farmafrica@farmafrica.org.uk W www.farmafrica.org.uk Registered Charity Number: 326901
Registered Company Number: 01926828
Practice